Kerry County Council is progressing plans to repair houses it owns in Tralee which experienced significant flood damage this month.
Sinn Féin councillor Deirdre Ferris told the recent council meeting that seven houses had been flooded in Shanakill on St Patrick’s weekend.
This followed a burst pipe in Lisloose, which affected water supply to around 10,000 Uisce Éireann customers on 15th March.
Cllr Ferris said some of the people living in these seven houses had been there for over 40 years, and were seeing a metre of water in their homes on 15th March.
She said it took five days for an assessor to come out to the houses, and the residents there had to leave their properties as they were for the assessment.
Cllr Ferris said there was raw sewage and effluent mixed in with the water inside these houses, and it was not good enough people had to leave their houses in that state for five days to be assessed.
The Sinn Féin councillor said four of the houses are council tenancies, and the council should support residents in dealing with Uisce Éireann, who she said have yet to accept liability.
Her party colleague Paul Daly said this is the third time in six years the pipe has burst, leading to flooding in the area.
Director of Services with the council, John Kennelly, acknowledged there had been a delay, due to the fact the council had to get its own insurers involved.
He said a loss adjustor had been down to Shanakill and gave advice to residents in terms of their own possessions, while the council has done an initial assessment and costings are being prepared; he said there is a process to follow but work is ongoing.
Mr Kennelly said they’re working towards a definite plan to get its housing units repaired.
He added that the Department of Social Protection has confirmed emergency supports are available for residents.
